Message Privately

Start private one-to-one chats from CometChat iOS UI Kit group conversations with message options, user lookup, and chat navigation.

Enable users to start a private one-on-one chat with a group member directly from a group chat screen using CometChat’s UIKit for iOS.

Overview

The Message Privately feature allows users to long-press a message in a group chat and select Message Privately to transition into a private conversation with the original sender. This streamlines side discussions and follow-ups without requiring manual user searches.

Prerequisites

Before implementing this feature, ensure you have:

1. Completed Getting Started setup
2. CometChat UIKit v5+ installed
3. User logged in with CometChatUIKit.login()

Components

Component	Description
CometChatMessageList	Displays group messages and handles long-press to show options
CometChatMessageOption	Defines the Message Privately option in the context menu
MessageDataSource	Supplies the messagePrivatelyOption in the options array
CometChatMessageListViewModel	Manages UI state, including hideMessagePrivatelyOption
CometChatMessages	Entry point for rendering or pushing the private chat interface
CometChat.getUser(UID:onSuccess:onError:)	Retrieves the User object for the selected message sender
CometChatUIEvents.openChat(user:group:)	Opens the chat interface for a user or group
UIViewController (Navigation)	Pushes or presents the private chat screen (CometChatMessages)

Integration Steps

Step 1: Control Option Visibility via ViewModel

Dynamically show or hide Message Privately based on app context:

import CometChatUIKitSwift

// Control visibility of the Message Privately option
public var hideMessagePrivatelyOption: Bool = false {
    didSet {
        // Sync with view model
        viewModel.hideMessagePrivatelyOption = hideMessagePrivatelyOption
    }
}

This ensures the option only appears when appropriate (e.g., based on user permissions).

File reference: CometChatMessageList.swift

Step 2: Handle Private Chat Navigation

Retrieve the sender and initiate a private 1-on-1 chat:

import UIKit
import CometChatSDK
import CometChatUIKitSwift

func startPrivateChat(with selectedMessage: BaseMessage) {
    // Get the sender from the selected message
    if let user = selectedMessage.sender {
        // Open the private chat using CometChatUIEvents
        DispatchQueue.main.async {
            CometChatUIEvents.openChat(user: user, group: nil)
        }
    }
}

// Alternative: Manual navigation with user fetch
func startPrivateChatManual(with selectedMessage: BaseMessage) {
    guard let uid = selectedMessage.sender?.uid else { return }
    
    // Fetch the user object
    CometChat.getUser(UID: uid) { [weak self] user in
        guard let user = user else { return }
        
        DispatchQueue.main.async {
            // Navigate to the private chat screen
            let messagesVC = CometChatMessages()
            messagesVC.set(user: user)
            self?.navigationController?.pushViewController(messagesVC, animated: true)
        }
    } onError: { error in
        print("Error fetching user: \(error?.errorDescription ?? "")")
    }
}

This automates the transition from group context to private conversation.

File reference: CometChatMessageList.swift

Implementation Flow

Step	Action
1	Long-press a group message in CometChatMessageList
2	Options menu appears with Message Privately
3	User taps Message Privately
4	App gets User from message.sender
5	Opens chat via CometChatUIEvents.openChat(user:group:)
6	Pushes CometChatMessages onto the navigation stack

Customization Options

Styling

Override CometChatMessageOption UI elements:

// Customize the message option appearance
let privateOption = CometChatMessageOption(
    id: "message-privately",
    title: "Message Privately",
    icon: UIImage(systemName: "person.fill"),
    backgroundColor: .systemBlue
)

Availability

Control visibility via the view model:

// Hide the option for specific scenarios
viewModel.hideMessagePrivatelyOption = true

Extend Options

Add additional actions in MessageDataSource.getMessageOptions(for:):

func getMessageOptions(for message: BaseMessage) -> [CometChatMessageOption] {
    var options = [CometChatMessageOption]()
    
    // Add message privately option
    if !hideMessagePrivatelyOption {
        options.append(messagePrivatelyOption)
    }
    
    // Add custom options
    options.append(customOption)
    
    return options
}

Edge Cases

Scenario	Handling
Blocked users	Hide option if the sender is in block list
Existing conversations	Reuse existing thread via getConversationWith
Unavailable users	Skip option or show disabled state if user data is missing

Error Handling

Error Type	Solution
Block state	Catch errors from CometChat.getUser and alert user
Network failures	Present retry or toast on navigation errors
Invalid data	Disable option if sender.uid is nil

Additional Notes

• This feature is only available in group chat screens (CometChatMessageList)
• The option is hidden automatically in direct/private chat views

Feature Matrix

Feature	Component / Method	File(s)
Show options menu	getMessageOptions(for:)	MessageDataSource.swift
Toggle Message Privately	viewModel.hideMessagePrivatelyOption	CometChatMessageList.swift, MessageListViewModel.swift

Related Components

• Message List - Display messages in conversations
• Users - Display user list
• Conversations - Display conversation list

Sample App

Explore this feature in the CometChat SampleApp

UIKit Source

Browse the message list component

Related Guides

Users

Display and manage users

Conversations

View and manage conversations

Group Members

View group membership